This summer I plan to revel in the magic of the mundane… the magic of life as it flows, steadily, and the comfort of nothing actually going wrong.
Spring 2022 was riddled with unforeseen obstacles, accidents and little tests here and there and everywhere. Needless to say, when that huge wave of health issues hit us it thrashed our previously predictable routines and existence con ganas. As I connect with my comunidad, I’ve learned that a lot of us have been tested in various ways in the past few months. Some with financial ailments, health complications, relationship turbulence and endings and the list goes on and on.
In the span of a single week, our household was hit with a wave of change:
- On February 25th, Rocky, our 2 year old aussie doodle pup, was attacked by two dogs who escaped their front yard leaving him with a gnarly wound on his front left paw.
- The following Monday, February 28th, my boyfriend, Ethan, got into a car accident where he totaled his car, broke a bone in his left hand and had to be in a cast and suffered bruised left ribs that still hurt to this day – if you’ve ever had bruised ribs you know how bad this hurts!
- That Friday March 4th I discovered the left breast implant I had placed 11+ years ago had ruptured and had to get surgery to replace both on March 30th
This set of experiences inspired me to think about how I plan to thoroughly enjoy this summer and it also made me think of summers past.
Have you ever allowed yourself to peacefully float in the ocean, a lake, a pool or any body of water? If you’ve done it for at least a few seconds you can remember that feeling of weightlessness… That ephemeral carefree feeling as if you have no responsibilities in the world. That space where all sounds are drowned out, muffled and no longer important… Sit with that memory for a moment and really recall that feeling in your mind and body. Trust me.
Now, can you also remember a time when you were brave enough to get into the ocean when there were a lot of big waves? I have a vivid memory of massive waves at El Cuco beach in El Salvador at sunset where I had to hold hands with my dad and tia Yanira because otherwise I would’ve been dragged out to sea. Have you had the courage to go into the beach when waters were choppy and you ended up getting revolcadx, unsure about which way was up, holding your breath and with sand in every crevice of your body? Bring that memory to mind now too and remember that feeling in your mind and body. It was pretty intense and scary as you scrambled to find your way up and fill your lungs with oxygen, no?
Yeah, I’ve felt that too.
Let’s just say that before the week of accidents we were (unknowingly) more or less feeling like we were floating in the calm, warm Tulum ocean without any major cares in the world and after we felt like we were hit by cold, murky and violent Santa Monica Beach waves.
For the next two months, we took turns being injured, being less physically able than usual and being WAY less productive than we usually took for granted. Our pup, Rocky, was the first one deprived of all the physical pleasures that come with sniffing all the things, going on long walks and not being able to run and tumble with his friends.
Ethan’s life was abruptly changed by having to wear a cast, not going to work and laying in bed recuperating for a week. He couldn’t laugh, sneeze, cough or take deep breaths without a stabbing pain from his bruised ribs. My turn came with having surgery and being dependent on others’ help to get up from bed, the couch or changing clothes. Basic stuff I took for granted everyday.
We don’t stop to think that it’s amazing that we get to go to work, take a shower or drive ourselves, yes, even through traffic, to run our mandados except for when we’re laid up without the ability to do any of those things.
I share these personal experiences because I want us to remember those times when things are humming along and there’s nothing seemingly exciting or glamorous about our day to day, that’s where the magic CAN happen. That’s when we have the opportunity to be fully present in those mundane moments, shift the lens of perspective and notice that everything is going as it should. Everything is right within our world.
Yes, we still have responsibilities and chores and obligations to meet, but is that really the worst thing? Do we need to mar our day to day with complaints about what is and get upset with relatively tiny inconveniences? Absolutely not. This summer you can find me choosing joy and magic every single day.
